Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 35,507. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

, r. c. PEABRE.

A GETYLEIIE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application'flled Feb. 28, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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FFIQEQ FRANK C. PEARRE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICGAS LIGHT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,507, dated October24; 1899. Application filed February 23, 1899. Serial No. 706,511. (Nomodel.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. PEARRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for producing acetylene gas fromcarbid of calcium.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted for useon cars, steamboats, and in any place where the apparatus might besubjected to jar or vibration.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an elevation of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is anelevation, partly in section, of the gas-generating chamber and showsthe crank end of the carbid-valve covered by the shield. Fig. 3 is aView of the gas-generating chamber, showing the parts on a sectionlinein a direction transverse with respect to the position seen in Fig. 2.Fig. t is a top plan View of the water and gas Valves and the lever foroperating them. Fig. 5 is a view of the lever-handle, partly in section,show ing the sockets.

The gas-generating chamber A is cylindrical and stands upright and has aconeshaped bottom I), which connects with a pipe 0, having a valve 0'and communicating with an ash or water receiver B. At the upper part ofthis chamber is the carbid-charger C, made in two sections (1 cl, oneabove the other. The upper section 01 is on the exterior over the heade, and the lower section d isinclosed in the chamber A, and the twosections are connected at the top head e of the chamber, so as to formone receptacle C. The upper section 01 is closed by a cap held in placeby a screw f, mounted in a yoke f. The bottom of the lower section d isclosed by a curved slide-valve g, carried by a swinging yoke h, pivotedto the sides of the lower section. The lower section has a curved bottomwhich at one side continues into a curved boss g, onto which the curvedvalve g moves when it is in the open position. The curved slide-valve isopened and closed by a shaft or crank end h,

attached to the swinging yoke h on a line with the pivots of said yokeand projecting through the wall of the chamber A to the outside thereof.A wrench or the lever-handle t'may be attached to this projecting crankend h, and thereby the valve 9 of the carbid-charger may be opened orclosed.

A water-reservoir D has an elevated position and is entirely separatefrom the gasgenerating chamber A. A pipe E leads from thiswater-reservoir and connects with the chamber A. This water-pipe has a Ushaped bend j to form a trap and a valve F, which cuts off thewater-supply. A glass-tube water-gage 76 is attached to the exterior ofthe Water-reservoir to denote the height of the water in the latter. Thewater-reservoir may be filled with water at an opening closed by a'plugl, and a pipe m, leading from the top of the reservoir, affords anair-inlet to vent the reservoir when the valve F is open and allow thewater to readily discharge from the reservoir. This pipe m will alsoafford an escape for gas to the outdoor atmosphere in case thewater-valve F should leak or become deranged after the water in thereservoir D had been discharged into the chamber A and gas had begun togenerate.

A pipe G leads from the gas-generating chamber A to a suitablegas-storage tank. (Not shown.) This pipe has a valve F like the valve Fin the water-pipe, only of larger size. A pressure-gage n is on thegas-pipe G at any desired point between the valve F and the saidgas-storage tank. This gage always denotes the gas-pressure in thestorage-tank.

A plate I-I connects or binds the water-pipe and gas-pipe, also staysthe water-pipe trap j, and affords a bearing 0 for the end 0 of a leverI, which operates both the water and gas valves F F, respectively. Thislever I moves in a horizontal plane, as do also the levers p p of thesaid valves. The two valvelevers are connected by a bar g, which at thecenter has a stud or bolt q passing up through a slot '1" in theoperatingdever 1. In the drawings the lever p of the water-valveprojects from the lower side of the valvecase, and the lever 19 of thegas-valve projects from the upper side of the valve-case. Thearrangement is such that when the opcrating-lever I is moved to one sidethe water-valve F will be opened and at the same instant the gas-valve Fwill be closed, and when the said lever is moved to the opposite sidethe reverse operations take plaee-the water-valve will be closed and thegas-valve opened. This action is of importance in the operation of thisapparatus, as will be explained hereinafter.

A removable lever-handle i has an end socket s to fit on the shortsquare end 3 of the operating-lever I and a side socket 7&2 to fit onthe crank end h, that operates the swinging earbid-valve g. This oneleverhandle therefore is to be employed for first one and then the otherpurpose.

It is desirable to so arrange the parts that it shall be impossible toopen the carbidvalve 9 while the water-valve F is open or while thegas-valve F is closed. To this end I combine with the operating-lever I,which controls both the water and gas valves, a shield 25 to cover theprojecting crank end 7b of the carbid-valve. This shield tis attached tothe lower end of a rod t, whose upper end is fixed at t to theoperating-lever I. It will now be understood from this explanation andFigs. 1 and 2 that access cannot be had to the crank end 7L of theearbid-valve when the gas-valve is closed, because the operating-lever Iwill at the closed position of that valve hold the shield i over thesaid crank end; but when the lever I shall be moved to open thegas-valve F and close the watervalve F then the shield t will be out ofthe way of the crank end, and the latter may be turned by applying thehandle 1'.

The construction of apparatus here shown provides for keeping the waterin a reservoir wholly separate and independent of the gasgeneratingchamber, and the carbid-eharger is an air-tight receptacle which whenclosed is distinct and cut off from the gas-generator and is also whollyseparate and independent of the water-reservoir. By this constructionthere is no possibility of the water and carbid commingling accidentallyeither by jar or vibration or by the upsetting of a car, as might be thecase when a wreck occurs on a railroad. By so constructing theoperatinglever I, the crank end 72. of the carbid-valve, the shield 25,and the removable lever-handle i that the latter device must be employedboth for working the lever and subsequently for operating theearbid-valve an assurance of safety in the management of the apparatusis secured and there will be no liability of the charge of carbidcontained in the receptacle 0 being dumped into the gas-generatingchamber A when the gas-valve F is closed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus the combination of agas-generating chamber, A, having a top head, e; a earbid-charger,

0, made in two sections one above the other and the two forming onereceptacle, the upper section being on the exterior of the said top headand thelower section inclosed within the gas-generating chamber belowthe said top head and having a valve; a water-reser voir, D, whollyseparate and independent of the gas-generating chamber; a pipe from thewater-reservoir to the gas-generatin g chamber and having a valve, F; agas-pipe, G, leading from the gas-generating chamber to a suitablestorage-tank and having a valve, F; an operating-lever I, connected withboth the said water and gas valves whereby when one valve is in the openposition the other valve will be in the closed position; and a shield,t, carried by the said operating-leverand which, when said lever is inthe position to close the said gas-valve, will prevent access to thesaid valve of the carbid-charger, as set forth.

2. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus the combination of agas-generatingchamber, A; a carbid-charger to dump calcium carbid intosaid chamber; a water-reservoir, D, wholly separate and independent ofthe gasgenerating chamber; a vertical pipe connecting from thewater-reservoir to the gas-gen crating chamber and having a valve, F;another pipe, G, leading from the gas-generat ing chamber and having avalve, F; a plate, II, connecting the said two pipes; and anoperating-lever, I, pivoted on said plate and connected with the saidtwo valves of both the water and gas pipes, as set forth.

3. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus the combination of agas-generating chamber, A a carbid-charger to dump calcium carbid intosaid chamber; and having a valve which controls said dumping, the valveprovided with a projecting crank end, h; a Water-reservoir, D, whollyseparate and independent of the gas-generating chamber; a pipe from thewater-reservoir to the gas-generating chamber and having a valve, F; agas pipe, G, leading from the gas-generating chamber and having a valve,F; a short operating-lever having a square end, 8, and connected withthe said two valves of both the water and gas pipes; a shield carried bysaid operating-lever and which, in one position, will cover theprojecting crank end of the carbid-valve; and a removable lever-handie,1', having a side socket, 7L2, to fit on the said projecting crank endof the carbid-valve and also provided with an end socket, s, to fit onthe square end, 3, of the said operatinglever, whereby the removablelever-handle must first be employed to open the gas-valve and close thewater-valve and then removed and employed to open the carbid-valve, asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK C. PEARRE.

\Vitnesses:

MAURICE LE ll/IAT, CHARLES l. MANN, J r.

